Kanjou no Setsuna
by bungeegum
Summary: The final confrontation with Naraku is close at hand…Kikyou implores Sesshoumaru to make a selfsacrificing decision…misery and death await Inuyasha’s troupe…whew, I suck at summaries…pls RnR, ch 2 up!
1. Encounter

**Writer's Yaps:**

Hey minna-san! This is the first chap of my second Inuyasha story (whoohee!). The title means "moment of reckoning" and I thought it was appropriate for this fic as it deals with the final battle with Naraku-and then some…hehe!

I dearly hope you guys take the time to R 'n R…next chappie will be up shortly!

Oops, Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Takahashi Rumiko-san, she's one heckuva tensai!

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**Kanjou no Setsuna**

**Chapter 1 – Encounter**

"Nee, Jaken-sama, which wreathe do you think will look pretty on your head? The one with the yellows, the one with the violets, or the one with the pinks?" Rin gaily pranced up to the green toad holding three colorful bunches in her small hands, her tiny mouth stretched in an expectant grin. She did not know the names of the flowers she was so very fond of, so she usually described them by their attributes.

The youkai rolled his eyes in disgust and irritably snapped, "I want neither one of those stupid things, you foolish child!" He waved his staff of heads in exasperation, stomping toward a clump of trees with the intention of gathering more twigs to feed the fire.

Rin's face fell, but it brightened again considerably. Fingering the wreathes she had worked so hard on, she wondered for the hundredth time why Jaken-sama was _always_ cross with her, but she knew he did not really mean to hurt her feelings. He was just being his usual crabby, irascible self. Her Sesshoumaru-sama, would never yell at her, though. He was the epitome of patience itself. It was a wonder this virtue did not extend itself to his loyal subject. It was just too bad that her Sesshoumaru-sama wasn't here with them tonight. She missed him already. Once again, he had gone traipsing off on one of his errands.

Rin never thought to question her master on what he does when he was away. Most likely it had something to do with Naraku. On the rare occasions that her lord deigned to speak, he has mentioned defeating the evil youkai. But whatever the reason, he always came back to her, regardless of how long he was gone. There was no need for promises. She knew it in her heart, same as she knew that the sun would rise up from the east tomorrow morning.

Running up to Jaken, Rin plopped the yellow garland on his unsuspecting head. The hole was too big and some of the blossoms drooped limply over his left eye. Laughing in delight, she said, "Ooohh, Jaken-sama, the yellow looks so adorable on you. It makes your green skin glow with a happy light!" She giggled gleefully, dancing around the toad in circles.

Muttering under his breath, Jaken made no move to take the garland off. It was just like her to take advantage of him like this. He didn't mind really. But there were times when her excessive exuberance got on his nerves. It was unnatural for a person to feel that giddy over such a trivial thing. But then, that was Rin, she wore her sunny disposition about her like a cloak, the child always found something to be delighted about. Furthermore she was a ningen (although it seems that on most occasions she did not act like a normal human being-he could never tell for certain since he wasn't an authority on human behavior). It made things easier to bear if he just let her be.

"Oiy Jaken!"

The green-colored youkai jumped at the sound of his name. It seemed to come from the clearing overhead. Ordering Rin to stay behind him in case of danger, he called out cautiously, "Who goes there?"

A young man in priest's garb emerged from the brush, followed by a maiden lugging a huge boomerang on her shoulder, a yellow feline at her feet. Inuyasha and his little band of troublemakers. Jaken sighed in relief then snapped out in greeting, "What brings you here?"

The rest of the party appeared behind the taijiya. The irrepressible miko in the odd costume, the orange-haired kitsune demon, and the most troublesome of the group: his master's contemptible half-brother, the nitwit Inuyasha.

"We were just scouting the area for a good place to spend the night. We've been exterminating bothersome youkai on the way here. They seem to have considerably grown in number," Kagome replied wearily, plopping down next to the flickering fire before Jaken could protest.

"In my opinion this is a good place as any," Sango rejoined, sinking down next to Kagome. "I'm pooped!"

Inuyasha snorted, surveying the camp. "Keh! Where's that bastard brother of mine? He's left you again to fend for yourselves? How so like him to be so inconsiderate."

"Sesshoumaru-sama will be back soon," Rin piped up indignantly in defense of her lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama always comes back for this Rin."

Jaken held his staff out threateningly in Inuyasha's direction. "How dare you insult the great Sesshoumaru-sama? You're just a good-for-nothing hanyou!"

Miroku held up his hands in resignation. "Now, now…let's not get too heated up. We're all exhausted. Why don't we all just sit around and have something to eat," he said tiredly.

"Miroku's right. We've got another long day tomorrow, might as well rest up," Kagome urged, ladling instant ramen

in bowls and handing them out to everyone.

Inuyasha began gobbling up his ramen, not realizing how famished he was until then. "Yeah, whatever," he said between mouthfuls. "Let's just hope Sesshoumaru doesn't return while we're still here."

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A couple hours later, Inuyasha was wishing the exact opposite albeit reluctantly. Where was his blasted brother when you needed him?

"KAZE NO KIZU!"

The Tessaiga emitted a blinding tunnel of whirling light, heading straight for the awful demon-child. It was a waste of energy. The wily youkai easily dodged out of the way and immediately erected an impenetrable barrier around his body. He started to laugh, the god-cursed bastard. The hated sound grated on Inuyasha's ears.

"How many times do I have to point out to you that your power is useless next to mine? Oh yes, how forgetful of me…you are just a stupid cur after all. "'Tis such a pity." Hakudoushi grinned and gestured tauntingly with his hand, "Care to take another shot?"

Inuyasha gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. These goddamn demons did not even give them the courtesy of waiting until the morning to fight, thus rendering them deprived of enough rest. His brain was so muddled with rage that for once he failed to snap out a biting retort. The hands gripping his sword were beginning to register a faint tremor. This was getting him nowhere. He needed to gather his wits, and fast. Damn, but he was exhausted, his energy draining with every second lost. A quick glance toward his companions indicated that they were having as much luck as he was. The battle has been raging on for the past hour and it was pitifully obvious who had the upper hand. Naraku's minions have been more persistent in their quest to annihilate them. And much as he would hate to, he was loath to admit that they were pretty close to doing so now. If this was how they fared fighting Naraku's cronies, he did not want to dwell on the thought of how they would fare against the demon himself.

"HIRAIKOUTSU!"

The taijiya sent her trusty boomerang flying toward Kagura. She was agilely evading the blasts sent her way by the wind-user and at the same time imploring her brother Kohaku to surrender. Kagura was riding the air, perched atop her feather carpet. She swerved to the right just in time, the boomerang swooshing past her harmlessly. A sweeping wave of her Fujin fan released a trio of her wind-knives, one of which struck the exterminator square on the chest, sending her sprawling to the dirt. And she stayed there, the blast momentarily stunning her.

A defeated Miroku was lying prone on the ground with his eyes squeezed shut in agony. He had opened his Kazaana vortex with the intention of sending the youkai Menoumaru to oblivion, ignoring the army of saimyoushou descending on him, making his attempt fruitless. As a reward for his effort, his right arm had turned an ugly black, resembling a piece of burnt coal. Likewise Shippou and Jaken were both unconscious some distance away, dust and grit swirling around their hapless bodies.

Kagome was faring no better as she valiantly shot her arrows toward the towering Menoumaru. A gash on her thigh hampered her movements, making her miss her target repeatedly. She was fast running out of ammunition. Inuyasha watched in horror as Menoumaru lunged toward her, intending to wipe her out with his deadly claws. Inuyasha's heart stopped beating. Dashing frantically to reach Kagome's side, he was thwarted in mid-stride by a sudden blast of energy directed in front of him.

"Going somewhere, hanyou? I'm afraid I haven't finished dealing with you yet!" Hakudoushi cackled, his maniacal laughter resounding all over the treetops.

"Kagome…Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed.

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Rin cowered behind a fallen log where Jaken-sama had strictly instructed her to stay put, witnessing these events with fearful eyes. She scrunched her eyes shut and prayed with all her might. _Sesshoumaru-sama, where are you? Please, oh please come back soon. This Rin needs you._

Kagome's eyes grew wide in alarm as Menoumaru flicked the last of her purifying arrows off as if they were mere mosquitoes. _Oh my lord…what should I do now? _In the distance she heard Inuyasha calling her name.Her dread increased as the demon menacingly descended on her slowly. The pain on her thigh was excruciating, her legs had the consistency of jelly and to her horror felt them give out from under her.

Menoumaru's claws glinted silver in the moonlight as he swiped at her, missing her by a hairsbreadth as she collapsed. Suddenly, Rin came charging out of her hiding place and boldly stepped up in front of Kagome. With her feet planted firmly on the ground and her arms stretched out on either side of her as if to ward of the advancing youkai, she said fiercely, "You shouldn't bully girls you big meanie! Stay away from Kagome-sama!"

Menoumaru spared a glance at the impetuous girl and with a mere flick of his arm sent her crashing to a nearby tree. Rin crumpled to the ground, the blow to her frail body possibly killing her.

Kagome cried out. Her mind chanted, "_Oh my god…Oh my god, not Rin! No, this isn't happening…this isn't happening…isn't happening."_ A welcome gush of adrenaline pumped through her veins, enabling her to scramble toward the fallen girl. Reaching out with shaking fingers, she felt for a pulse. At first she couldn't detect one, her lips shaping a wail of despair. But it was there, though it was so faint, so alarmingly faint. Tears gathered in her eyes as relief washed over her. There was nothing she could do now but try her utmost to finish off the foul youkai. The question was _how_. She was out of arrows. Her eyes roved wildly for a weapon, any weapon…

A purifying arrow suddenly came shooting out of the sky toward Menoumaru, momentarily paralyzing him. Another one flew in the wake of the first, heading straight for Hakudoushi. Help had finally arrived. _But was it already too late?_

_Kikyou?_ It was the last thought that flittered through Kagome's numbed brain as she slowly slipped into oblivion.

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Whew! I hope you guys liked that one. I know Sesshy hasn't made an appearance yet, but he will be in the next chap. Watch out for it!

Please R 'n R!

Until next time, Ja ne!


	2. Contemplations

**Writer's Yaps:**

I'd like to thank everyone who read/reviewed my first story the World at her Feet. That was so awesome guys! I hope you keep on reading! Here's another Sess/Rin fic for you, I hope you guys enjoy it! Please R 'n R!

**Kanjou no Setsuna**

**Chapter 2 – Contemplations**

"Sh-She took a blow that was meant for me. It should have been me, lying on that bed. I'm so sorry. I couldn't get up…my legs wouldn't move you see…I am truly sorry. There was nothing I could do." Kagome knew she was rambling hysterically, on the verge of tears. Tonight's ordeal was the worst yet. Rin nearly died in _her_ place. The poor girl…it was nothing short of a miracle she survived that blow. She was still unconscious, and it was clear that she suffered a serious concussion. She might _never_ wake up. _Oh god, that was too horrible to dwell on_. But she had to explain. She had to let Sesshoumaru understand that it could not be helped. _Everyone_ had been so close to dying. _If Kikyou had not arrived when she did_…she shuddered uncontrollably.

Sango looked at her sadly, feeling for her. She had _never_ seen Kagome this distraught before, it was disheartening to watch: she was usually so calm, so sure of herself. Trying to put a light note in her voice, she said soothingly, "Don't worry. I'm sure she's gonna be fine. She's a sturdy little girl."

"She'll wake up soon enough," Inuyasha added, nodding his head in Sesshoumaru's direction. "And besides, if she dies, he's got the power to bring her back to life, no big deal." He said it to comfort her, but the look she gave him wasn't the least bit appeased. In fact, it made her eyes tear up even more. It was positively killing him inside seeing her like this, when it was _his_ fault that things had come to this point. It made him so angry. He hated feeling vulnerable, powerless, _useless_. He would have dearly liked to envelope Kagome in his arms but he hesitated, unsure of how she would take it, she was so uncharacteristically fragile right now. Thank heavens for Kikyou's timely arrival. After her purifying arrows had pierced Hakudoushi and Menoumaru, causing the demon-child to disintegrate and retreat, she had vanished. He had turned toward the distant hills where the shots had come from, but all he saw was a glimpse of a woman's shadow against the bright wash of the moon. In the blink of an eye, she was gone…making it hard to believe she was ever there at all.

Sango had rushed over to the miko and wrapped her arms around her. "How can you be so insensitive? It should have been me…It should have been me…oh god," Kagome cried wretchedly, her slender frame finally succumbing to sobs. "How could this happen? We cannot _ever_ defeat Naraku…he's much too strong for us. We all know that even with Kikyou's help back there, we couldn't have beaten Hakudoushi. That was a deliberate retreat, so they could torment us for another day. Th-they know, they know that they could have slaughtered us right then and there!"

Sango's arms tightened around her. "You must not say such things…we'll think of something-we usually do." She looked at Inuyasha worriedly over Kagome's head and he returned her look dejectedly. "We've all had quite a day. Come on, let's get you to bed."

Kagome allowed the taijiya to steer her towards one of the pallets in the other room. "Rest up, you'll feel better in the morning. Don't you worry about Rin…she's in good hands now."

Her eyes still glistening with tears, Kagome shook her head tiredly. "I've got a bad feeling about all this, Sango-chan," she said in a mournful whisper. "We-We might not get out of this al-"

"Shush now, Kagome-chan," Sango cut in before she could finish. "Now go to sleep. I'll be right here if you need me." She tucked the blanket securely around the shivering girl, crawled to the pallet next to Kagome's and laid down with an exhausted sigh. Her glance was drawn to another pallet at the other end of the room, where Miroku was in a fitful slumber, his blackened arm encased in a bulky bandage. Closing her eyes tightly, she fought tears that were threatening to spill over. _Oh please let us all be alright_.

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Sesshoumaru stood rigidly with his fist clenched at his side. A riot of nameless emotions was warring within him and he did not like it. He wanted to kill them all, to punish them for what they did. How dare they do this to his Rin? How dare _they_ let this happen? But the truth was so clear in his mind, looming over him like a pall. Rage, remorse, fear…_guilt_. It was nobody's fault. It was nobody's fault…but _his_. He allowed this to happen to his Rin by not being there to stop it. He had no right to blame anyone else, except himself.

Because of his neglect his Rin was now lying deathly pale on a straw pallet, unmoving, practically lifeless. She had several broken ribs, numerous cuts and bruises and her lip was split. Inuyasha's companions had brought her here to the old miko's house after the skirmish. Kaede and Inuyasha's wench did their utmost to set her bones, and mentioned that she possibly had a concussion, though he did not know what that meant. When he arrived, he was greeted at the door by a wailing Jaken. The servant was prostrate on the floor and babbling incoherently, begging him to have mercy on him. Then Kagome came barreling out of the other room with his brother on her heels. She had _grabbed_ at his sleeve and proceeded dragging him over to the other room, all the while explaining what had happened in a high-pitched tone.

He could not understand her at first, as she was obviously too distressed to talk clearly. And when he saw Rin, his heart nearly stopped. Thinking she was dead, he crossed over to where she was laid and dropped down on his knees. Her breathing was shallow, but she was alive. Relief washed over him like a flood, drowning his senses. He reached out with his remaining hand and brushed the bangs off her sweat-dampened brow. She was alive…that was all that mattered now.

The miko was still apologizing profusely, though he refused to heed her. And for once, his detestable brother was strangely silent. Without a glance in their direction, he rose swiftly to his feet and strode quickly from the room.

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He had never harbored so much hatred in his life. It even surpassed the animosity he felt for his brother. _Naraku. That bastard. This Sesshoumaru will defeat you._

Thinking that a walk in the woods would calm his tumultuous spirits, Sesshoumaru ventured out in the forest alone. Jaken had deigned to follow meekly behind him, but a furiously barked out order erased that intention from the toad's mind. As he sauntered over to the edge of a clearing, he was confronted by two unlikely visitors. Pausing in his tracks, he asked impassively, "What do you want?"

"Kikyou-sama requests you presence," Kochou said in a no-nonsense tone.

Her partner Asuka nodded in confirmation, adding, "You will come with us immediately. Any questions you may have will be answered by Kikyou-sama."

They spun on their heels in unison, and not turning back to see if he would acquiesce, they soared gracefully up in the air.

Summoning his whirlwind cloud, the demon lord rose up to follow the shikigami.

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Whoohee! That's another chapter done! I'm still toying with several ideas right now about what's gonna happen next. Next chappie will be up in a few days.

Please read and review! Suggestions are welcome too…

Until next time, Ja ne!

- bungeegum -


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